Chapter 46: Encounter in the Star Dou Great Forest
[In the early morning a few days later, a carriage drove out from the main gate of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect.]
[On the carriage sat the father and son duo, Yu Xiaogang and Yu Yuanzhen.]
[For such a major event as his son obtaining his first spirit ring, Yu Yuanzhen naturally had to accompany him.]
[Especially since his son needed a Dragon-type Spirit Beast without any additional attributes and with a Bloodline as pure as possible.]
[Such Spirit Beasts were hard to find; for instance, in the Thunder Forest near Blue Lightning City, although there were Dragon-type Spirit Beasts, they all had the thunder attribute.]
[Therefore, Yu Yuanzhen was taking Yu Xiaogang to the Star Dou Great Forest to find a suitable Spirit Beast.]
[After boarding the carriage and waiting for it to stabilize slightly, Yu Xiaogang closed his eyes and began to meditate.]
[Seeing this hardworking appearance, Yu Yuanzhen, who had originally planned to read a couple of travelogues or similar books, felt a bit embarrassed to even look.]
[It is often said that a father is a role model for his son.]
[But in front of Yu Xiaogang, he, as a father, hadn't set much of a good example.]
[On the contrary, because he often saw Yu Xiaogang's diligent efforts, Yu Yuanzhen felt too embarrassed to rest, and his own time spent on Cultivation increased as well.]
[So, in the case of this father and son, it was actually the son who set the example for the father.]
["If word of this got out, people would probably laugh themselves to death."]
[Shaking his head, Yu Yuanzhen eventually entered a state of meditation, just like Yu Xiaogang.]
[And so, the journey to the Star Dou Great Forest passed with both Yu Xiaogang and Yu Yuanzhen Cultivating.]
[Of course, it wasn't that they did nothing but Cultivate.]
[Some rest and recreational activities were still necessary.]
[Burying oneself in bitter cultivation without end isn't good; balancing work and rest is the Righteous Path.]
[In short, after a long journey, Yu Xiaogang and Yu Yuanzhen arrived at the outskirts of the Star Dou Great Forest.]
[Lush, green trees appeared before the two of them; looking out from a higher vantage point, the layers of verdant green looked like an endless ocean.]
[From time to time, the roar of a wild beast or some strange cry would echo from the distance, startling the birds nesting in the woods.]
[Yu Xiaogang glanced at the dark, cavernous forest ahead and couldn't help but marvel; it truly lived up to its reputation as the largest Soul Beast Forest on the Douluo Continent, far more terrifying than the Thunder Forest he had visited before.]
["Father, legends say that many Hundred Thousand Year Soul Beasts are hidden within the Star Dou Great Forest. Just how many is 'many'?"]
[Yu Xiaogang asked curiously.]
["Such a thing... I'm afraid only the heavens know."]
[Yu Yuanzhen shrugged; exactly how many Hundred Thousand Year Soul Beasts were in the Star Dou Great Forest had always been a matter of curiosity for Spirit Masters in the outside world.]
[There was once a group of people who wanted to uncover this secret—and of course, they also coveted hundred-thousand-year spirit bones and hundred-thousand-year spirit rings—so they assembled a team to explore deep into the Star Dou Great Forest.]
[The lineup of that team was quite luxurious: one Titled Douluo, two Spirit Douluos, and three Spirit Saints.]
[With such a lineup, logically speaking, even if they encountered a Hundred Thousand Year Soul Beast, they would certainly have the strength to fight.]
[Even if they couldn't win, they could scatter and flee, returning safely to bring back information about the Star Dou Great Forest.]
[But as it turned out, that team entered the depths of the Star Dou Great Forest and never appeared again.]
[Neither seen alive nor dead, they vanished completely without a trace.]
["So since then, the depths of the Star Dou Great Forest have become a place feared and dreaded by everyone."]
["Even the Clear Sky Douluo Tang Chen, who was invincible on the continent back then, and the Angel Douluo Qian Daoliu of Spirit Hall, never ventured into the depths of the Star Dou Great Forest."]
["Though it's also possible they did go in, and we just don't know about it."]
[Yu Yuanzhen shared some of the Star Dou Great Forest's secrets with Yu Xiaogang.]
[These matters were never recorded in books and only existed in the idle chatter of the powerhouses of the Douluo Continent.]
[Thus, while listening to these secrets, Yu Xiaogang showed an extremely interested expression.]
[Yu Yuanzhen also felt a rare sense of pride for sharing knowledge that Yu Xiaogang didn't know.]
[Not long after entering the Star Dou Great Forest, Yu Xiaogang witnessed why it was a paradise for Spirit Beasts and a Forbidden Land for humans.]
[Every short distance they walked, they would see a Spirit Beast; of those that appeared before them, most were hundred-year ones, and there were quite a few thousand-year ones as well.]
[It was only because Yu Yuanzhen would release his Titled Douluo Aura to scare them away every time he saw these Spirit Beasts; otherwise, they would have lost count of how many battles they would have fought along the way.]
["The Star Dou Great Forest is just like this; Spirit Beasts are everywhere."]
["Otherwise, there wouldn't be so many Soul Beast Forests across the Douluo Continent raising low-level Spirit Beasts for commoner Spirit Masters to obtain spirit rings."]
["Having those commoner Spirit Masters come to the Star Dou Great Forest for their first spirit ring would carry too much risk for too little reward; it's simply not worth it."]
[Yu Yuanzhen walked ahead, explaining things to Yu Xiaogang.]
["Father, I've always felt that the cultivation method on the Douluo Continent is a bit strange."]
["If human Spirit Masters want to become stronger, they must kill Spirit Beasts to obtain spirit rings. If one day all the Spirit Beasts are killed off, wouldn't Spirit Masters be unable to become stronger anymore?"]
[Yu Xiaogang voiced the doubt that had lingered in his mind ever since he began to understand the cultivation system of the Douluo Continent.]
["Hahaha, rest assured about that. The number of Spirit Beasts consumed by Spirit Masters is negligible."]
["The vast majority of Spirit Beast deaths are always due to internal predation among Spirit Beasts."]
["A Spirit Master only needs nine spirit rings in a lifetime; even with twin spirits, adding them all up only makes eighteen."]
["But a Spirit Beast? It has to eat every day."]
["And every time it eats, it has to hunt and kill another Spirit Beast."]
["There are even some bloodthirsty Spirit Beasts that kill a couple of others just for fun when they have nothing better to do."]
["Compared to the Spirit Beasts themselves, the number consumed by us human Spirit Masters is undoubtedly far, far too small."]
[Yu Yuanzhen said with a laugh, and hearing this, Yu Xiaogang finally had an epiphany.]
["Thinking about it that way, it makes sense."]
[Having understood, Yu Xiaogang no longer dwelled on the issue.]
[Over the next few days, Yu Xiaogang and Yu Yuanzhen continued to roam the Star Dou Great Forest.]
[During this time, they encountered many Dragon-type Spirit Beasts, but these beasts either had the wrong age or possessed attributes; in any case, none were the Spirit Beast Yu Xiaogang needed.]
[Just as Yu Xiaogang thought they would have to keep searching like this, at noon that day, the sound of wild beasts roaring suddenly reached his ears.]
[Accompanying it was a shout filled with both shock and anger.]
["Oh no, stop them!"]
[Hearing this voice, Yu Yuanzhen immediately quickened his pace.]
["Is someone fighting Spirit Beasts?"]
["From the sound of it, there are quite a few Spirit Beasts!"]
[Yu Yuanzhen and Yu Xiaogang quickly assessed the situation.]
["Let's go take a look!"]
[Yu Yuanzhen picked up Yu Xiaogang with one hand and then moved swiftly toward the direction of the sound.]
[When they arrived, Yu Xiaogang couldn't help but be shocked by the scene before him.]
[For at that moment, a large pack of Spirit Beasts was besieging two Spirit Masters.]
[And behind the two Spirit Masters was a young girl who was currently absorbing a spirit ring.]